The last two wins are crucial for Bama! After a tough loss at home to Tennessee, Alabama is on the road, heading straight into the swamp for a ranked showdown with Florida. With only two games left in the regular season, the Tide needs to get back on track. This isn’t just about bouncing back; it’s about making a statement before heading into what Mark Sears is eyeing as his ultimate revenge tour.
Tennessee did manage to take them down last time, but you better believe Bama’s leading scorer is ready to run it back against every SEC squad that’s wronged them this season.
Injury reports couldn’t be more unalike for Alabama and Florida
About the coming matchup, let’s talk injuries because Alabama’s got some key names in question. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. remains out after rupturing his Achilles against Oregon, while Houston Mallette is still sidelined with lingering knee issues that have kept him out since the Texas A&M game.
Derrion Reid, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, is also out, continuing his week-to-week status. As for Grant Nelson, his appearance on the injury report as “questionable” raised a few eyebrows since Nate Oats didn’t mention any injury concerns during his press conference.
Nelson has battled injuries throughout the season, including a shin bruise, but even when listed as probable for the Mississippi State game a while back, he still managed to log 24 minutes.
Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson (2) reacts in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
On the bright side, Oats had confirmed that all four seniors, including Nelson, should be good to go for Senior Night on Wednesday. So, the possibilities are high that he will hit the court. Meanwhile, Florida is coming in at full strength with no players listed on their availability report.
The Projected lineups look like this…
Alabama
Grant Nelson
Clifford Omoruyi
Labaron Philon
Chris Youngblood
Mark Sears
Florida
Thomas Haugh
Rueben Chinyelu
Will Richard
Alijah Martin
Walter Clayton Jr.
Mark Sears’ SEC Revenge tour starts soon
After loss to Tennessee, Sears made one thing clear, sending a message to the no.1 team: they’re out for revenge. “We still got the SEC tournament and we get to see Auburn,” he said. “We got to take care of Florida first, obviously, we can’t overlook them, but like we still have Auburn for their senior night. Hopefully in the SEC tournament we can see Tennessee and all the teams we lost to,” he added.
This basically means Crimson Tide isn’t going down without a fight, and they’re locked in on the teams that handed them Ls this season. That will probably start after this one when they face Auburn for the second time. Other than the Tigers, the list includes Ole Miss, Mizzou, and Tennessee. Sears is looking to cross names off one by one.
For now, though, it’s Florida, for the first time this season.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – APRIL 06: Mark Sears #1 and Aaron Estrada #55 of the Alabama Crimson Tide look on in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at State Farm Stadium on April 06, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
And not to forget, Gators are playing some of their best basketball right now, winning 10 of their last 12. Will Richard has been a walking bucket lately, averaging 27.5 points over his last two games. Oh, and just a little reminder—Florida swept Alabama last season.
But Bama can’t afford to mess around this week. A couple of losses could mean saying goodbye to that crucial double-bye in the SEC tourney. Tennessee and Mizzou are right on their heels, ready to jump in if Alabama slips up. On the flip side, if the Tide locks in and wins out, they’re sitting pretty as the No. 2 seed heading into the postseason.
So, can Mark Sears & Co. get it done before the revenge matchup with Auburn?
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